Improvement in outtiig-appabatus foe habvestebs



R.DUTTON. CUTTING APPARATUS FOR HABVESTBL- No. 74,212. Patented Feb. 11, 186.8.

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'Leum Patent no. 74,212, dated February 11, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN CUTTING-APPARATUS FOR HARVESTEBS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, RUFUS BUTTON, of Brooklyn,- in the county of Kings, and State of.New York, ha've' invented certain new and useful Improvements inthe Construction and Combination of the Fingers, Leger- Plate, and Finger Bars of Harvesting-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, and'of their mode or manner of operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and making'a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention or improvements consists in a new construction and arrangement of the fingers and legcr-plate of harvesting-machines, in combination with the finger-bar, whereby a lighter and stronger finger can be secured, and at a reduced cost. I

Figure 1 is a sectional View of a finger and its lager-plate in combination with the finger-bar.

Figure 2 is a top view of fig. 1. I

Figure '3 is a detached view of the lager-plate in figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of a finger and its lager-plate, and of the finger-bar, the lager-plate slightly varying from the one shown infig. 1.

Fignr'e 5 is a top view of fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a detached view of the leger-plate in figs. 4 and 5.

My invention has reference to that class of fingers that have combined with or aflixed to them a leger- 'plate for the knives to act against in cutting, Such. plates, when used, have been i and dre ihost generally riveted to the finger. As this mode of fixing them together has a tendency to weaken, the fingers, the latter are usually made larger and stronger than otherwise would be necessary. Such manner-of fastening the leger plate to the finger is, therefore, to be avoided if possible. Sometimes, also, the leger-plate is welded to the under surface of the slot of the finger, but as thismethod increascs'cost of construction, it is also to be avoided.

I obviate or overcome these objections in the following manner: i

The main portion of the lcger plate is as broad-as the under surface of the slot of the finger. The front end a of each plate is made of a width less'than that of the finger, and is shaped, as represented in fig. 3, so as to enter and fit in a recess, formed as shown by the dotted lines in figs. 2 and 5, made to receive it. The other end, c, of such leger-plate, instead of terminating at or about the commencement of the shank of the finger, and. being riveted or welded thereto, is extended .and bent, as shown in figs; 1 and 3, to correspond in shape with the under side of the finger-bar, and with the curved shank of the finger, and liesbetneen the shank of the finger and the under side of the finger-bar, the extreme end of such plate fitting into a. recess in the shank of the finger formed to. receive it. The leger-plate when so constructed is placed in position before the finger bar is secured to the finger, and is fastened and retained in position by the same rivet that secures the finger bar and finger together. i i

The finger-bar represented in the drawings is turnedinp at its front edge, and is so combined or placed in connection with the finger that the leger-plate andthe top surface of the turned-up edge of the fingerbar are on the same plane or level. When such a finger-bar is so combined with the fingers, the turned-up edge of the finger-bar forms a continuous guard or cross-bar for the knives to move upon. 4

The construction of leger-plate above described, and the manner of connecting it with the'finger, may, however, 'be employed with finger-bars as ordinarilyshaped. The construction and arrangement ofleger-plate before described are specially adapted for use in connection with fingers made of malleable iron.

In converting cast into malleable iron, it is essential, to secure a. complete and satisfactory operation or, change, that the article. or metal to be treated should not be very thick, as thick pieces are not likely to become wholly and sufficiently annealed entirely through. a

By forming the leger-platc, and securing the same to thefiuger, as-before mentioned, the finger can be made in skeleton-form, or hollow, as shown in figs. 1 and 3, whereby the several parts of the finger can be made thin and light enough to be wholly converted into malleable iron. If,'however', the leger-plate weresuch as to be required to be riveted to the finger, the latter wouldnecessarily have to be made solid or heavier at the back; endof the slot, or in the shank, in order to-secure'sufiicient strength for the rivet, and'compensate for the rivet-hole, and such required thickness would interfere withtlie conversion of the finger .into malleable iron.

But by the use of a leger-platc, as described, and so combined with the finger, the finger can be so shapmf as to be more completely converted into malleable iron, and its strength thereby increased; and the finger can also be made lighter, thus securing or uniting both lightness and strength. 7

Such construction or formpf leger-plate', and manner of securing it to the finger, also permits of a modi: fication in shape of such leger-plate, bywhich a portion of such plate is madeto act as a button, to hold down the front edge of the knife-bar, so that the kniveswill move in close contact with the legcr-plate. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 represent such modification of form in the lcger-plate, and illustrate its application in holding down the knife-ba'r.' p

In that portion of the leger-plate which passes under the finger-bar, as before described, and just at the end of the slot in the finger, is struck out or iormed a. tongue,'D, which, however, is not bent down with the other portion of the leger-plate, but is left in the same plane with the main part of the leger-plate that covers the slot of the finger. This tongue D projects backward, and is made of such a length as to extend over the front edge of the finger-bar, and fits into a recess or groove made therein, as shown in fig. 4, such recess or groove being on the upper side of the knife-bar, and underneath the knife-blades or cutters. The lager-plate being firmly held down, and secured with the finger tothe finger-bar by the bolt F, it will be at once apparent that the tongue D, which is a part of the leger-plate, will confine and hold down the knife-bar, and conse* .quently the knives, upon the leger-plate; and as the knives or cutters entirely cover the tongue I), and the groove in which it moves, all danger of clogging is efi'ectnally prevented.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters. Patent, is i 1. Fastening or seouring the leger-plate between the finger and finger-bar, substantially as described, without the 'use of a separate rivet, or its equivalent, to fasten such leger-plate when the finger-bar is raised or turned up on its front edge to a level with the upper surface of the leger-plate, and, so as to form the guard or cross-bar for the support of the knives. v i I 2. Constructing the leger-plate so that a part thereof may pass between the finger and finger-bar, to hold such plate in position upon the finger, and a part thereof may pass over the knife-bar, to act as a button to hold clown the front side of such bar, and keep the knives upon the leger-plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

3. In combination with a lager-plate, constructed asideseribed in the last claim, recessing the front edge of the finger-bar to'receivethe projecting part of the leger-plate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth- R. DUTTON.

Witnesses:

vS. D. LAW, W. R.RONALD5. 

